


Shattered Pieces

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Blood, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Future Fic, Good Theo Raeken, Hopeful Ending, Hurt Theo Raeken, Love Confessions, M/M, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:09:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26253181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: Isaac helps Theo realize that being broken doesn't mean he can't be loved.
Relationships: Isaac Lahey/Theo Raeken
Kudos: 30





	Shattered Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompts: “Go. Leave me here.”, “Please be careful.", and “I’m not easy to love.” from [this list](https://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/post/187424666603/200-random-dialogue-prompts) of prompts.

Isaac looks up at the sound of glass shattering in the kitchen. For a moment after all he hears is silence. Then he hears a sob. It's quiet, as if it's trying to be silenced, but Isaac hears it all the same.

Maybe he just knows the sound so well because of all the times he had to stifle his own tears. 

Isaac gets to his feet and walks quietly towards the kitchen. He finds Theo there, on his knees on the floor. His back is to him, and Isaac can see his shoulders shaking. 

"Theo?"

“I’m fine,” Theo says, clearing his throat, and wiping at his eyes as if Isaac can’t see him. “Just dropped a glass.”

“Are you sure?” Isaac says carefully. “It seems like more.”

“It’s not,” Theo says, tone clipped. “I’m fine, and I got this so you can go.”

Theo reaches out for a piece of glass and winces when its sharp edges slice into his finger. He lets out another sob but doesn’t stop trying to pick up the glass. “Theo. Please be careful,” Isaac says. He’s trying to keep calm, not wanting to startle Theo and make things worse.

“Go,” Theo mutters. “Just leave me here.”

Isaac doesn't. Of course he doesn't. What kind of friend would he be if he just left Theo here like this when he’s obviously distressed about something. “I won’t leave you,” Isaac says, resting a hand on his shoulder. “I’m always here if you need me.”

“What if I don’t?” Theo bites out.

“Is that really the truth?” Isaac asks. “I don’t know what’s upset you, but I am here if you want someone to talk to about it, or even just sit here. But if you really want to be alone, I can go.”

Theo doesn’t say anything, and Isaac nods. He knows what this is like. To be so wrapped up in your own head that it’s hard to let anyone else in, or believe that anyone actually cares enough to stay. For a long time no one had. But then that changed and he’s found people that do care about him. That love him and support him. It hasn’t been an easy road, for any of them, but they’re all slowly healing. Some a little slower than others. Which is understandable since none of their situations are the same.

Isaac’s just trying to figure out what triggered this. Everything had been fine minutes before. They’d been on the couch watching a movie, curled up together like they do so often. It’s just normal for them now. Both of them need that contact and reassurance so Isaac has never questioned it. 

So what had been different?

Theo sucks in a breath, then another, his shoulders moving with each deep inhale and exhale. “I’m sorry.”

“What for?” Isaac asks. He runs a hand through Theo’s hair and watches as he relaxes just a bit under the contact. Good. He’s calming down. “If you’re apologizing about the bowl, don’t. We have more.”

“It’s not the bowl,” Theo says. “Well, it is. But not really? I don’t know. I guess when the bowl shattered, I realized it’s like me. It’s just a mess of broken pieces that can’t really fit together no matter how much I want them to. And I’m just…. I’m realizing something, about my feelings and it hurts. Because I’ve hurt people and pushed them away. And now I’m just a fucking mess. I’m not easy to love.”

“Hey,” Isaac says, kneeling down next to him. He doesn’t drop his hand though, needing to keep that contact with Theo. “We’re all a little broken. How could we not be with everything we’ve been through? But the thing is, we’re never going to be those people we were, whether good or bad. So of course those pieces aren’t going to fit. But we have new ones, new lives, new experiences, and those do. It might not be perfect, but it’s who we are. And Theo, people love you for that.”

Theo looks at him, his eyes wide and wet, rimmed red from the crying. His eyes move across Isaac’s face, as if he’s looking for something. Isaac really hopes he finds whatever it is he’s looking for. He jumps when Theo moves, taking Isaac’s face in his hands. “Theo?”

“What about you?” Theo asks him. 

“What about me?”

“How do you feel?”

And oh. _Oh_. It all makes sense now. Because tonight something had been different. Tonight Isaac had leaned in and kissed Theo’s cheek as they watched the movie. As if it is nothing. As if that’s what they do. And maybe Isaac has been hoping that’s where they were heading. With all the time they’ve been spending together and the eyes that linger a little too long and the touches. It seemed only natural. But if that’s what made Theo freak out…

“I love you,” Isaac admits. “Every mismatched piece. But if this isn’t something you…”

Theo kisses him. It’s hard and a little off balance, especially when Isaac starts to lose his footing. But then Isaac’s hands find Theo’s hip and neck and he holds him steady. He slows the kiss down, kissing him with a tenderness that Theo deserves. Showing him that he’s here and that he loves him and that he’s not going anywhere. Except maybe out of this kitchen.

“We shouldn’t do this here,” Isaac mumbles against his lips.

“Hmm?”

“All the glass,” Isaac reminds him. “The last thing I want is you to wind up with a piece of glass in your ass.”

Theo pulls back, and Isaac is happy to see he’s at least smiling now. It’s not one of the wide grins or smirks he’s used to seeing, but something softer, more real.

“That’s a good point,” Theo says.

“And we’re going to talk about this,” Isaac says. “Maybe not tonight, but we do need to.”

Theo nods, “Yeah okay.”

Isaac gets to his feet and helps Theo up, making sure they both avoid the pieces of glass still scattered around the kitchen. He’ll clean it up later. For now, he leads Theo down the hall to the bathroom. He grabs the first aid kit and works on cleaning up the wound.

“You know this is going to heal, right?” Theo reminds him.

Isaac shrugs, “That doesn’t mean you should be bloody and in pain while it does.”

He looks up when Theo taps his cheek, “Hmm?”

“Thank you,” Theo says, face serious.

“For what?”

Theo shrugs, “I don’t know. Everything. Just being here. Not leaving me, even when I told you to. Reminding me that I do deserve a little bit of happiness even after all the shit I did.”

“Because you do,” Isaac says. “I might not have been around for all that, but I know you’re not that guy anymore. So does everyone else.”

“I’m not worried about everyone else right now,” Theo tells him. “As long as you know, that’s what matters.”

“I do,” Isaac tells him. “And I’ll be here to remind you if you ever forget it.”

He intends to keep that promise. He’s in this for the good and the bad. And knows that Theo will be here for him on his bad days. Because they still do come, sometimes when he leasts expects them. But he knows he’s not alone in this, and neither is Theo. Not anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments make my day 💜  
> You can find me [here on tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


End file.
